Aerial navigating apparatus.



L FBLKER.

AERIAL NAVIGATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 3, 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I I I I l F [NVli/VTOR f/orlley L. FELKER.

AERIAL NAVIGATING APPARATUS.

SHEET 2.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 3, 1909. 942,629. Patented Dec. 7

I 3 sums INVENTOR X21 214 a. x qg f L. FELKER.

AERIAL NAVIGATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 3, 1909. Dec. 7

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[NVENTOR To all whom it may concern:

LEVI FELKER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AERIAL NAVIGATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Application filed April 3, 1909. Serial No. 487,685.

Be it known that I, LEVI F ELKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inyented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial havigating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in aerial navigating apparatus adapted also for use in navlgatmg \\'ater,-land, etc., and comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which Wlll be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of two of the buoyant propelling wings with attachments. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through the forward end of the housing apparatus and showing means for operating and holding the rudder shaft. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspectiveview of one end of the aeroplane rudder. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of means for giving a partial rotary movement to the propeller carrying wings. Fig. 7 is a similar detail view showing the parts in positionat right angles to those illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a slight modification of the apparatus in which it is adapted for operation by manual power, and Fig.0 is a detail sectional View showing means for detachably connecting one of the wings to the shaft.

Reference now being had to the details of' the drawings by letter, A designates the housing of the apparatus which may contain any suitable power mechanism for driving the craft and suitable axles A having wheels B thereon. Said housing may be of any size and shape, preferably of the construction shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which the ends taper in order to offer as little resistance as possible to the air or other medium through which the craft is to be propelled.

Mounted upon shaftsC, which are jour naled in suitable bearings in the housing, are the rods D to each of which is fastened a wing E having a skeleton frame covered with canvas and suitably braced by means of the wires E. Each of said rods D has two wings positioned at right angles to each other, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be noted that each of said wings is dished slightly or concavcd in order to secure a better purchase in the air as the shafts carrying said rods are rotated. In the drawings 1 have illustrated two of sald shafts C to each end of which is fastened a rod carrying two of said wings "as shown,

but it will be understood that any number of shafts or wings may be employed as may be desired. Extending laterally 1n the sides of said housing are the flat face projections F, two of which are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and sectional parts of the same being illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Each of said plates has a cam groove G formed therein which is of semi-circular outline and terminating at its ends in inclined walls H and H, one of which H is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. carrying the wings are the pins L'K, L

and M, and each of said pins carries asphericalsocket member 0 in which a ball bearing 1 is held in the manner shown Projecting from the rods clearly in Fig.,6 of the drawings. It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that, as said rods D are rotated by the shafts C, they overlap each other and that the two wings upon the portions which overlap are always disposed at right. angles to each other, thus allowing one ring to be in operative position as it is passingdown while the upwardly moving wing feathers with the air.

Mounted horizontally in suitable bearings within the housingare the shafts Q, a detail of one end of which is shown in Fig. i of the drawii'igs, said shafts being hollow and provided with a T-shaped end Q which is hollow. Mounted in said T-shaped end is a shaft Q having a sprocket wheel thereon about which the sprocket chain Q1? Passes, I

which chain 'also passes about a 'sprocket wheel which is fixed to the operating shaft Q" to which a handle Q s fastened. A

spring-pressed pawl Q is mounted upon the 1 a slight modification of my invention in which manually operated mechanism is provided for driving the shaft T, said mechanism consistingv of the sprocket chain T which passes about the sprocket wheels upon the shafts T and T and a crgank arm T fixed-to each shaft T affording a means whereby each hand of the operator may be utilized in imparting a rotary movement to the shaft T.

In Fig. 9v of the drawings, I have shown a detail view in which means is afforded for detaching one or anotherof the wings. The shafts-W have threaded'portions W also contracted ends W longitudinally slotted, as at X, andsaid contracted portions are adapted to telescope Within the endof the tube .y. Pins N 2 project through registering apertures in the tube 3/ and also pass through said slots X and aflord means for preventing the shafts W from rotating independently of the tube y. Threaded collars J are fitted to the threads W and the shaft In operation, when the apparatus is to be utilized for navigating the'air, rotary movement is imparted by any suitable power apparatus to the shafts C, causing the same to 1 rotate in the direction of the arrows in Fig.

1. As the shaft rotates, the balls carried by 1 the pins L and K alternately come in contact with the inclined end wall H of the semi-circular groove G, shown in Fig. 1' of the drawings, and cause each rod D to be given a quarter revolution. After the rod D is thus given a quarter revolution and the pin K or L carrying the ball which contacts with the end wall H rises out of the groove, the two balls, one upon a pin I or M as the case may be, and the ball upon the pin K or L, which ball last leaves the groove, will be thrown into horizontal positlons, as shown in-Fig. 7 of the'drawings, said balls rolling upon the flat surface and fdescribea circle intermediate the ends of the semi-circular roove, thereby securely holdingnthe shaft air. The moment one of the pins- Kror L comes opposite the inclined end H, which is the entrance to the groove G and as the ball carried by the other pin L o'rK comes in contact with the inclined end wall H, the

pin which enters'the groove will be thrown down to a" position at right angles to the outer face of the projection F. This operation is repeated each time. the shaft C makes a revolution and, as both the shafts C rotate together, the inner ends of the rods D carried thereby will overlap and the wings will assume the positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which the two pairs are always upon the downward thrust of the wings thrown to horizontal positions, thus exerting an upward buoyant as well as a forward propelling action. As the wings rise up, they are disposed in horizontal positions, thus ofiering little resistance to the air. r

By the manipulation of the rudders or aeroplanes through the medium of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 f the drawings, said rudders or aeroplanes may bethrown by the universal joint connections into various po-. sitions accordingly as it may be desired to steer the craft in any direction desired. By the manipulation of the mechanism shown inFig. 4 of the drawings, the aeroplanes or; rudders may be held in any adjustable positions and conveniently shifted by the lever, .pawl and sprocket-mechanism. 1

' In the modified form shown in Fig. 8, the wings are operated in the same manner as shown in Figs. -1 and 2, but in said modified form said wings are'adapted to be actuated by manual power consisting of thesprocket wheel's, chain and crank mechanism. vWhen it 15 desired to remove one or more of the win s of the form shown in Fig. 8, it maybe easlly done by unscrewing the collars J, allowing the hollow shafts or rodscarryin the wings to be withdrawn from the positions shown in Fig. 9 of the drawm s.

Tn the event of the apparatus being utilized for travel upon land, the mechanism for operating the wings and rods may be thrown out of commission and power applied direct to the driving axle of the apparatus and, in the event of its use in water,

the power connection is made direct with rotatably connected to said shafts, wings inountedat right angles to each other upon each of said rods, pins carried by said rods and projecting at right angles thereto, ball bearings upon said pins, grooved ways having each an inclined end against which one or the other of said balls is adapted to bear to give a partial rotary movement to the rod, and aeroplane steering rudders at the to give a partial rotary movement to the rod, and aeroplane steering rudders having universally adjusted connections with the ends of said housing, as set forth.

3. An aerial navigating apparatus, etc., comprising a housing, rotatable shafts mounted in suitable bearings therein, T- shaped unions connected to said shafts, rods rotatably mounted in said T-shaped unions, wings secured at right angles to each other upon said rods, pins projecting from said rod, a ball bearing upon each pin, semicircular grooved ways upon the opposite sides of the housing and each groove having an inclined end wall adapted to contact to causea partial revolution to be imparted to each wing carrying rod, and aeroplane rudder means for steering the apparatus, as set forth.

4. A11 aerial navigating apparatus, etc., comprising a housing, rotatable shafts mounted in suitable bearings therein, T-

- shaped unions connected to said shafts, rods rotatably mounted in said T-shaped unions, wings secured at right angles to each other upon said rods, pins projecting from said rod a ball bearin u on each in semicircular grooved Ways upon the opposite sides of the housing and each groove having an inclined end wall adapted to contact to cause a partial revolution to be imparted to each wing carrying rod, means for preventing said rods from rotation while the pins 1 are moving between the ends of said grooved way on a fiat surface of the projecting portion of the housing, and aeroplane rudders for steering the apparatus, as set forth.

5. An aerial navigating apparatus, etc., comprising a housing, rotatable shafts mounted in suitable bearings therein, T- shaped unions connected to said shafts, rods rotatably mounted in said T-shaped unions, wings secured at right angles to each other upon said rods, fingers projecting from said rods at angles thereto, a ball bearing mounted in asocket portion upon each of said fingers, laterally extending portions of the housing having flat faces which are provided with semi-circular grooved ways, each terminating in an inclined end wall against which certain of said balls are adapted to contact, as the shaft carrying said rods rotates, to cause a partial revolution to be im parted to each rod, said fingers and ball bearings serving to prevent said rod from rotation While the balls are in contact with said flat surface intermediate the ends of the grooved way, aeroplane steering rudders, and means for operating the same, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI FELKER. Witnesses:

' A. L. HoUGH,

ANNA G. BLAKENEY. 

